Between the Columns (December 2012)

A Newsletter for Faculty and Staff of the University of Maryland

in this issue
RAIN CATCHERS PG. 2 /
BEING TESTUDO PG. 3 / CAMPUS CHALLENGES PG. 4 /
STAFF PROFILE PG. 6 / ACCOLADES PG. 6 /
CRIME DECLINES PG. 7 / “CHRISTMAS GIFT” PG. 8
Between the Columns
a newsletter for faculty & staff
of the University of Maryland
December 2012
GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE
Loh’s State of the Campus Address
Outlines Strengths, Challenges | PG. 4
Anatomy of a Testudo
CAN TOLERATE
100-DEGREE
TEMPERATURES
inside costume
LIFE AS A GIANT TURTLE MASCOT ISN’T FOR THE SOFT-SHELLED . Testudo is
the walking—but not talking—embodiment of Terp spirit, cheering on our
sports teams, clowning around at campus events and doling out hugs and
handshakes. It’s a lot of responsibility for the three to six students who don the
costume each year. Cheerleading coach Jamie Little ‘01, Testudo’s supervisor of
sorts, shared a few of the unique skills that a Terp mascot-in-waiting must have:
HAS AN OPEN
SOCIAL SCHEDULE
Testudo appears at every
football and basketball game and
at many other athletic events. He
sometimes gets hired for parties,
bar mitvahs and weddings, too.
BARRELS FOR THE BAY
Students Help County Alleviate Stormwater Runoff Problems
BY KAREN SHIH
Prince George’s County
Councilman Eric Olson M.A. ’95
knew rain barrels were a good idea for
watering lawns and gardens, saving
homes from flood damage and keeping the Chesapeake Bay clean. But he
wasn’t sure how to set up a local rain
barrel program.
He turned to the University of
Maryland Extension, where two
students conducted a semester-long
study that prompted the county
to allocate $30,000 for rain barrel
rebates this year.
“It’s an easy way for residents to
help with stormwater runoff issues,
and a good intern project for students
to contribute to the community,”
Olson says.
Gabrielle Rovegno, a junior environmental science and technology
major, and graduate student Mallori
McDowell, with the marine and
estuarine environmental science program, studied programs throughout
the state and the country. They also
met with community leaders and residents to gauge interest in rain barrels.
Since presenting their results, they’ve
started conducting workshops to
teach county residents how to install
and use them.
“I’m really invested now,” Rovegno
says. “I want to spread the word and
get students to use them too.”
CAN GO WITHOUT
SPEAKING for hours
ENJOYS THE
ADULATION OF
THOUSANDS
IS SUPER PHYSICALLY FIT
Testudo constantly climbs
up and down stairs at Byrd
and Comcast.
HAS FABULOUS
DANCE MOVES
and acting chops
BRAVES THE PAPARAZZI
and is patient with people
struggling with cameras
CAN SOOTHE THE
OCCASIONAL TODDLER
frightened of costume
(à la Santa or the
Easter Bunny)
SEE TESTUDO IN ACTION AT A 2012-13 MEN’S
BASKETBALL GAME—AT A DISCOUNT!
MASCOTS WANTED
Coach Little is still recruiting
Testudos. Do you know any
students who might be
up to the job? Visit www.
marylandcheerleading.com/
testudo.aspx for details.
Looking to stay up to date on the latest Terp
news? We have the solution: UMDRightNow.
umd.edu, the university’s just-launched news
site. It features a video gallery and resources
for members of the media, as well as the latest
athletics news. Visit often to find out what’s
happening Right Now.
2 btc DECEMBER 2012
IS CAPABLE OF STEALTH
IDENTITY CHANGES
A student wearing Testudo’s
costume remains anonymous.
Testudo photo by John T. Consoli /rain barrel illustration by Kelsey Marotta
Faculty/Staff Appreciation Game: $10
8 p.m. Dec. 12 v. Monmouth
Winter Break Faculty/Staff Special Offers: $15
8 p.m. Dec. 21 v. Stony Brook
Women’s basketball: Faculty/staff receive free admission to
all women's basketball games, with ID
*Learn more about staff and faculty ticket pricing by calling the Terrapin
Ticket Office at 301.314.7070. Also look for info in campus mail.
OCTOBER 2012 btc 3
State of the Campus: “STRONG”
UMD brought in
$502M
in external research funding in fy12.
FOUR CHALLENGES
1
�
�
RE-ENVISION EDUCATION in a residential,
public research university through online
technology and blended learning.
Joined Coursera to introduce five massive, open
online courses (MOOCs) in January, providing
free classes to anyone around the world.
Formed the Provost’s Commission on Blended
Learning and Online Education to explore
and expand opportunities for technologyenabled education.
3
DRIVE REVITALIZATION of the College
Park community.
�
�
�
Open a charter school to enhance
educational opportunities.
Provide incentives for faculty and staff
to live in College Park.
cost-of-living pay
increase in for all faculty
and staff in 2013.
$990M
2
INCREASE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
Raise $20M to make this the signature feature of
the university.
�
Launch the Academy for Innovation and
Entrepreneurship, led by a new assistant vice
president, to oversee and expand programming.
�
4
5
high-tech startups
launched by faculty
researchers since July 1.
Maryland, Baltimore.
�
�
The entering freshman class is the strongest
ever, with an average combined sat score
of
and gpa of
“The public research university
of the future has to provide
greater access, more students
of greater quality in terms of
educational outcomes, and
greater affordability.”
EXPAND TIES with the University of
�
was raised by the university toward
the $1b goal of the Great Expectations
campaign ending 12/12/12.
1300
Expose 50% of all students to “I&E” education
within five years.
�
Drive redevelopment of Route 1 in
partnerships with private developers.
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DECEMBER 2012
2012
4
2
%
President Wallace Loh delivered his third annual State of
the Campus address on Nov. 1, describing the university
as “ascendant.” He summarized recent accomplishments
in academics and research, and identified ambitious goals.
Missed his speech? HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Combine technology commercialization
efforts through the new University of
Maryland Ventures.
Create the Collaborative School for Public
Health to expand educational opportunities
for graduate students at both locations.
Establish the Center for Health-related
Informatics and Bioimaging to speed
solutions for chronic medical and public
health problems.
Campus photo by John T. Consoli / Loh photo by Lisa Helfert
4.07.
accolades
Mastering English,
Improving Her Life
I.M. “Mac” Destler, Saul I. Stern
Professor of Civic Engagement at the
School of Public Policy, received the 2012
Walter E. Beach Award for contributions to
strengthening the relationship between
political science and public service. The
award is given annually by the National
Capital Political Science Association.
University Employee Learns New Language
BY MONETTE AUSTIN BAILEY
Sitting in a conference room she had cleaned earlier, Alejandra Aviles shows off
a few worksheets from her English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class, the letters
in each word carefully written.
The 59-year-old Facilities Management housekeeper spends three hours a week in a
University Human Resources (UHR) class learning to read and write in her second language.
A native of Mexico, Aviles has been in the country for nearly 30 years and earned her U.S.
citizenship this summer. Mastering English was the next step.
Of her late start at becoming a full citizen, she simply says, “It was time.”
Between her halting English and rapid-fire Spanish, she says she appreciates being able
to communicate better with co-workers, doctors and “everybody.”
“I like the instructor,” she says of Martha Pien, lecturer with the university’s Maryland
English Institute, whose instructors teach the courses. Like
many of her fellow students, Aviles begins work at 4 a.m. and
attends class twice a week during her shift, juggling her studies
and her job.
“It really takes dedication,” says Pien. “Alejandra definitely
shows that. She was suffering with allergies, pretty bad ones,
and she just kept showing up. She didn’t miss work and she
didn’t miss class.”
The campus has offered free ESOL courses on and off
since 1998. Since 2011, UHR has paired with the institute to
offer the free 14-week courses at two proficiency levels on
Monday and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays,
and in morning and afternoon slots to accommodate
varying schedules. The classes are open to approximately 40 regular exempt and nonexempt employees
each session. Spanish-speaking individuals aren’t the
only pupils, either; employees from Cameroon and
Southeast Asian countries, for example, have been
enrolled. Supervisors nominate employees or they
can recommend themselves for the classes.
Aviles, who has been with the
university for
12 years, hopes to take
computer classes next.
“I want to learn as much
as I can.”
For more information on the courses, visit
http://uhr.umd.edu/2012/08/
esol-basic-computer-skills/.
6 btc OCTOBER 2012
Alejandra
photo
by John T. Consoli
Aviles
photoAviles
by John
T. Consoli
School of Public Policy Professor Philip
Joyce was awarded the Association
for Budgeting and Financial
Management’s Aaron
Wildavsky Lifetime
Achievement Award.
He is editor of Public Budgeting
and Finance.
Lemma Senbet, William E. Mayer Chair
Professor of Finance, was appointed
executive director of the African Economic
Research Consortium. Senbet led the
Robert H. Smith School of Business finance
department for eight years. He will be
on leave beginning next August and will
relocate to Nairobi.
Adrian Raul Cornelius, university
registrar, received the 2012 Distinguished
Dissertation Award from the International
Society for Education Planning
for his paper, “The Intentional
Internationalization of Higher
Education: A Strategic Institutional
Response to Globalization.”
Mina Choi ‘10, M.S. ‘11 is the recipient of
the 2012 Fischell Fellowship in Biomedical
Engineering. The annual award supports
talented and innovative graduate students
interested in applied research and product
design in the biomedical industry.
The UMD-Northwestern High
School Partnership was awarded the
2012 Campus-Community Partnership of
the Year Award from the Maryland–D.C.
Campus Compact. The honor recognizes
a partnership that produces measurable
improvements in people's lives while
enhancing higher education.
Photography by John T. Consoli
BOOKSHELF
Road Warrior
RESEARCHER TRACKING DRIVERS TO ID TRAFFIC REMEDIES
BY KAREN SHIH
TIRED OF SITTING IN GRIDLOCK ON
YOUR WAY TO CAMPUS EVERY DAY?
Civil engineering Professor Lei Zhang
(below, right) is working on ways to get
you out of that jam.
“People waste time and fuel and
pollute the air as they sit in traffic,” he
says. “I want to mitigate congestion and
improve travel reliability.”
He’s studying the Interstate 270
and Route 355 corridor in Montgomery
County, one of the most congested in the
area, to identify small behavioral changes
people can make to improve traffic conditions. He’s funded by $400,000 from the
National Science Foundation’s Faculty
Early Career Development Award.
Using a smartphone application, he’ll
track 200 participants continuously for
two years to discover how they behave
during normal traffic conditions and
unexpected delays, such as those caused
by accidents, bad weather, Metro problems and roadwork.
“We assume people are supermen”
and are making the best decisions about
their commutes, Zhang says. “But in reality, we have very limited knowledge.”
His goal is to pinpoint easy modifications that drivers will actually make. These
could include adjusting the time of day
they travel and taking alternative routes.
Working with the federal and Maryland
highway administrations, Montgomery
County and the Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Administration, he’ll push for
public campaigns, policy incentives and traveler information
systems to implement
these recommendations.
Vladimir Tismaneanu, professor of
government and politics, has written The
Devil in History: Communism, Fascism
and Some Lessons of the Twentieth
Century, a provocative analysis of the relationship between communism and fascism.
The book also focuses on political passions,
radicalism, utopian ideals and their catastrophic consequences in the 20th century’s
experiments in social engineering.
Paul Herrnson, director of the Center for
American Politics and Censorship, released
the sixth edition of Congressional
Elections: Campaigning at Home and
in Washington. Using data from recent
campaigns, interviews, news coverage and
original research, Herrnson demonstrates
that successful candidates run two
campaigns, one for votes and the other
for resources.
Public Safety
By the Numbers
CRIME IN AND AROUND THE UNIVERSITY DROPPED
FROM 2010 TO 2011, following an increased emphasis
on reporting, technological advances, educational
efforts and the addition of officers. Today, the university
police force has 55 patrol officers who, with the Prince
George's County Police Department, monitor 2.5 square
miles that include parts of College Park, Hyattsville
and Riverdale Park. These efforts were recognized with
a 2012 Governor’s Law Enforcement Agency Crime
Prevention Award for a comprehensive crime
prevention program. For a full report, visit
http://dps.umd.edu/RECORDS/CleryAct.cfm.
14.7%
DROP IN
BURGLARIES
30%
DROP IN
ROBBERIES
19.6%
DROP IN
MOTOR
VEHICLE
THEFTS
73%
DROP IN
AGGRAVATED
ASSAULTS
DECEMBER 2012 btc 7
Clarice Smith Center
Unwraps “Christmas Gift”
BY GAYLE STAMLER
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center will introduce
audiences to a lesser-known African-American holiday tradition with
a December show featuring gospel and R&B singer-songwriter
Shirley Murdock.
“Christmas Gift!” was created for the center by local musician and
composer Nolan Williams Jr. (below) He was inspired by a 1963 book,
“Christmas Gif ’, an Anthology of Christmas Poems, Songs and Stories
Written by and about Negroes” by Charlemae Rollins. The “gif ” was a
greeting game played by enslaved Africans. When two people encountered each other on Christmas, the person who could shout the greeting
first received a gift—usually a handmade or home-baked treat—from
the other person.
“What we are aiming to do is not to recreate a tradition that is lost,”
he says, “but to reclaim some of the lessons from that tradition.
You had people taking the time to create gifts when
they really had nothing to give, a tremendous display
of love and the selfless gift of self.”
The Dec. 14 and 15 shows will be a mix of songs—from
African-American spirituals to jazz and R&B—performed by
Williams and his 33-member Voices of Inspiration, interwoven
with holiday-themed readings of works by Zora Neale Hurston,
Langston Hughes and other leading African-American poets
and writers.
“We hope it will establish a holiday tradition,” Williams says.
For more information, visit www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
Between the Columns is published twice per semester by University Marketing and Communications. Story ideas
are welcome and should be sent to Monette Bailey, managing editor, at btwthecolumns@umd.edu or by calling
301.405.4629. ¶ The mailing list is generated through University Human Resources. Any changes to names and
addresses should be made through ares.umd.edu.
Between the Columns
University Marketing and Communications
2101 Turner Hall, College Park, MD 20742
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In the center spread of the October
2012 issue, we incorrectly spelled
illustrator Sabrena Sesay's last name.
Also, in the caption for President Loh's
photo, John Zacker's title should've
read assistant vice president for
student affairs.